Reversing mechanism for internal-combustion engines.



6. WILSON.

REVERSING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

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REVERSING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.2. 19:5.

LQMEM. Patented Feb. 6,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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REVERSING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3 APPLICATION FILED AUG-Z. 1915.

1 6 /IFIII I Z Ki 7 4e 39 (In,

GEORGE WILSON, 0F MANKATO. MINNESOTA.

REVERSING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. a, raw.

Application filed August 2, 1915. Serial No. 43,100.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE VVILsoN, citizen of the United States, resident of Mankato, county of Blue Earth, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversing Mechanism for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an attachment for gas engines adapted par ticularly for use on railroad hand cars to allow the operator to reverse and run the car in either direction without the necessity of turning the car around.

A further object is to simplify and im prove the mechanism shown and described in my application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 6779, filed February 8, 1915.

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularlypointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is an elevation of the engine, illustrating the application of my invention thereto, the operating lever and the connections being shown in full lines, the operating lever being shown at the limit of its stroke in one direction.

Fig. 2 is a. sectional view, showing the position of the parts when the operating lever is at the end of its stroke, as indicated in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, showing the parts at the other end of the stroke from that shown in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a plan view, showing the electrical contacts and timing device,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view, showing the position of the contact arms with respect to the cams,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating a modified construction,

Fig. 7 is a similar view of another modification in the construction of the attachment,

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view, illustrating the manner of mounting the operating lever and contact arms of construction shown in Fig. 7,

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view, showing the means for locking the reversing lever,

Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view, illustrating the form of electrical contact shown in Fig. 6.

In the drawing, 2 represents the crank case of an engine. 3 is a cam shaft, having cams 4 and 5 secured thereon and set in the proper relative position to effect the forward or reverse movement of the engine. 6 is a tappet for actuating the exhaust valve, (not shown) in substantially the same manner as set forth in my application above referred to. 7 is an operating lever, mounted at 8 and provided with a pin 9 whereon contact arms 10 and 11 are mounted. These arms are of different length and are each equipped with a head 12 that is adapted to slide in between the head of the tappet and the surfaces of the cams, one contact arm being designated for each cam and the variation in the length of these arms providing for en gagement of but one of them at a time. The arms rest upon suitable ribs 13 in the crank case and slide back and forth thereon to an operative or inoperative position. The crank case has an opening 14. therein and a plate 15 is mounted on the lever for closing said opening and adapted to move back and forth with the oscillation of the lever, as indicated in Fig. 1. When the lever is at one end of the slot, as indicated in Fig. 2, the short contact arm will be in position to be engaged by its cam. while the other contact arm will be projected beyond and out of the path of its cam and will be temporarily inactive.

Mounted on the shaft 3 is a commutator 15 of insulating material, having metallic plugs 16 and 17 inserted therein in the path of pins 18 and 19 and yieldinglv mounted in sleeves 20. These pins are in circuit respectively with contact springs 21 and 22 mounted on an insulating block 23 and having contact surfaces 24 to engage a conducting pin 25 that is carried bv the lever 7 and insulated therefrom. This pin is in circuit through the conductor 26. A. crank 2'7 and operating rod 28 provide means for rocking the commutator sleeve and changing the position of the contact surfaces therein to hasten or retard the spark, in. much the same manner as described in my former application.

The spring 21 is shorter than the spring 22, so that only one of them is in the circuit at a time, and the springs are connected by independent conductors 27 and 28 with the pins 18 and 19. The inclined faces of the contact springs engage the pin 25 and the springs are thereby put under tension suflicient to form a good rubbing contact between the springs and the pin and insure a temporary electrical connection at this point. When the lever T is moved to one end of the slot in the casing, its pin will con tact with the shorter spring 21 and close the circuit through this spring and its terminal pin, and when the lever is moved to the other end of the slot, it will contact with the spring 22 and close the circuit through the othenterminal for forward or reverse movement of the engine, the period of ignition being hastened or retarded by the 1'0- tary adjustment of the commutator sleeve, as described. This lever is mounted on the outside of the case, as shown in Fig. 1, but the opening leading to the crank case will be effectually closed by the plate 15, the cams and the contact arms being thereby protected fronrcinders and dust and dirt.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a modified construction which consists in providing a slide 29 that is movable in a guide slot 30 in the top of the. crank case. Contact arms corresponding to those shown in Fig. 2 are mounted in this slide and are moved back and forth, into or out of the path of the cams, as described with reference to these arms in Fig. 2, but instead of mounting the operating lever in direct connection with the arms, it is pivoted at 31 on the crank case and connectedwith the slide 29 by a link 32. An insulating block 33 is mounted on the slide and carries a contact pin 34 which engages with the contact springs 21 and 22 alternately as the slide is moved back and forth in its guiding slot. In other respects the mechanism is substantially the same as previously described.

In Fig. 7 I have shown another modification, in which the operating lever 35 is piv oted within the crank case and movable in a slot 36 in the top of the case. A pin 37 has bearings in the case and with the lever 35 is longitudinally slidable. A single contact arm 38 is provided and is movable into and out of the path of the cams by the lateral movement of the lever 35 on its supporting pin. This construction provides for amovement of the lever and its supporting pin lengthwise of the pin and transversely of the case, as well asa rocking movement of the lever to change the position of the arm with respect to the cams and tappet.

The contact springs 39 and 40" are mounted on an insulating block 41 and engage the insulated circuit closing pin 42 mounted in the lever 35, this. pin being brought in proper position to engage the respective contact springs by the movement of the lever laterally with its supporting pin.

I prefer in this construction to provide means for locking the lever 35 against premature movement, resulting from the thrust of the cams on the contact arm. This locking device consists preferably of a T-shaped arm 43 pivoted at 44 on the lever 35iand having its projecting head on one side in position to contact with a lug 45 formed on the crank case. An operating handle 46 projects upwardly from the arm 43 and is normally held at the limit of its forward movement of a spring 47. The operator,

grasping the lever 35, can press the handle 46 toward the lever and release the locking arm and may then move the lever forward or backward, as desired.

On the opposite si le of the housing a lug 48 is provided in position to engage the T- head and lock the lever when it is at the extremity of its movement in the opposite direction.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination, with a cam shaft, its cams and an exhaust valve tappet, of a lever, an arm connected with said lever and positioned to be interposed alternately between said cams and said tappet, an electric circuit, a pair of contact springs in said circuit, means carried by said lever and engaging said springs alternately with the alternate engagement of said arm with said cams for shifting the circuit from one spring to the other and for holding said lever in its two positions.

2. The combination, with a cam shaft and its cams and an exhaust valve tappet, of a lever, arms connected therewith to be inter.- posed respectively between said cams and said tappet, an electric circuit, a pair of contact springs in said circuit, means carried by aid lever and engaging said springs alternately for shifting the circuit from one spring to the other, and means for holding said lever at the limit of its stroke in each direction.

3. The combination, wi h an internalcombustion engine cylinder and its crank shaft, of a cam shaft geared thereto, cams secured on said shaft, an exhaust valve actuating tappet, means interposed betweensaid tappet and cams and positioned for adjustment to transmit the movement of said cams alternately to said tappet, a housing for said cams having a slotted opening therein, and a lever connected with said interposed means and having a cover for normally concealing said slot and thereby excluding dust and cinders from said housing.

4. The combination, with a cam shaft and its cams, and a housing therefor and an exhaust valve 'tappet, of a lever, arms connected therewith and positioned to be interposed respectively between said cams and said tappet, said lever operating through a slotted opening in said'housing, an electriccircuit, a pair of contact springs in said circuit, and means carried by said lever and engaging said springs alternately for shifting the circuit from one spring to the other, and holding said lever in its two positions.

5. The combination, with a cam shaft and its cams and a housing therefor and an eX- haust valve tappet, of a lever, arms connected therewith in position to be interposed respectively between said cams and said tappet, said lever operating through an opening in said housing, an electric circuit, a pair of contact springs in said circuit, a pin carried by said lever and engaging said springs alternately for shifting the circuit from one spring to the other, said springs having means for engaging said pin and holding said lever at the limit of its stroke in each direction.

6. The combination, with an internal combustion engine and its crank shaft, of a cam shaft geared thereto, cams secured on said shaft, an exhaust valve actuating tap'pet, a housing for said cams, an operating lever mounted at one end on said housing, a pin carried by said lever, said housing having a slot therein through which said pin projects, and arms mounted on said pin and positioned to be interposed between said tappet and said cams alternately.

7. The combination, with an internal combustion engine cylinder and its crank shaft, of a cam shaft, cams mounted thereon, an exhaust valve actuating tappet, a lever, means connected with said lever to be alternately projected between said cams respectively and said tappet, an electric circuit, contact springs therein, a pin mounted on said lever and insulated therefrom and in said circuit and positioned to engage said contact springs alternately in the stroke of said lever.

8. The combination, with a cam shaft and its cams and a housing therefor, an exhaust valve tappet and a lever, arms connected therewith and positioned to be interposed respectively between said cams and said tappet, an electric circuit, a pair of contact springs in said circuit, means carried by said lever and engaging said springs alternately for shifting the circuit from one spring to the other, said springs having means for holding said lever at the limit of its stroke in each direction.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of July, 1915.

GEORGE WILSON.

Witnesses:

W. C. HENLEIN, EDWARD LANGES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

